Knockdown box.



G. G. MENGEL.

KNOGKDOWN BOX.

APPLICATION I'ILED JULY 8, 1909. l 071,072o Patentea Aug.26,1913. 2BHEETS-SEEBT 2.

INVENTOR:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES C. MENGEL, OF LO'UISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

KNOCKDOWN BOX.

To oZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES C. MENGEL,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county ofJefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Knockdown Boxes, of which the following is aspecification.

My present invention relates to improvements in knock-down boxes, theconstruction and advantages of which will be hereinafter set forth,reference being had to the annexed drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of the box in a partly assembledcondition; Fig. 2 a perspective view of the box when assembled andlooked; Fig. 3 a horizontal sectional view, taken through the middleportion of the box; Fig. 4 a vertical sectional view; Fig. 5 a detailsection, showing the side members of the box and a portion of themetallic binding and retaining strip; and Fig. 6 a perspective view ofsaid strip, partly folded or brought to form.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a simple, lightand durable packing-box, which may be readily assembled and as readilyknocked down for the purpose of reshipment.

The construction is such as to permit the employment of thin lumber and,more particularly, composite veneer in the manufacture of the boxes.

The structure may be said to comprise a top, back, bottom and front,connected to each other by two strips of sheet metal of right-angleform, which are secured to the outer ends of said members and spacedaway therefrom so as to leave grooves orv channels for the reception ofthe heads, which fit into the grooves and overlap the ends of the top,back, bottom and front. Said top, back, bottom and front, or as they maybe termed the sides of the box, are preferably connected by sheet metalstaples or hinge members, in addition to the hinges formed by themetallic strips. The strips will be made longer than just necessary topass around the box, so as to provide normally free extensions which maybe folded down in front of the box and there secured, thus retaining thetop in position. In addition to these extensions, independent fasteningdevices may be employed to hold the top in position.

Referring to the drawings, 1 denotes the Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed July 8, 1909.

Patented Ang. 26,1913.

Serial No. 508,539.

top, 2 the back, 3 the bottom and 4 the front of the box. The heads aredesignated' by 5 and 6 and as illustrated will preferably be formed ofveneer lumber. The proximate edges of the top and back, the back andbottom and the bottom and front are preferably beveled and secured bysuitable sheetmetal staples 7, which as will be noted upon reference toFig. Ll, are driven through the sides and clenched. The four sidemembers are thus secured together, and to the members thus held there isfastened at each end thereof a sheet-metal binding strip S, of L- shapein cross-section. The strip or binding member is of a length greaterthan the aggregate length necessary to pass about the box, so that itWill form a tongue or projecting member 9. The strip is notched, as at10, and the notched sections are bent up at right angles to the mainbody of the strip so that when the strip is secured to the box it may befolded up with the sides, the notched portions overlapping, as clearlyindicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 5. Said strip is secured to the sides so asto form a channel or groove 11, as shown in Fig. 5, adjacent to the endsof the sides, into which groove or channel is fitted a head, the'headbeing of such thickness as to completely fill the groove when the partsare brought to their assembled position, as in Fig. 2. The strip beingformed of malleable sheet-metal, the box may be opened-and closed anumber of times before the parts break at the corners of the box, orwhere the body of the strip is bent at right angles upon itself, as at12.

In addition to the tongues or projections 9 formed upon the strip andwhich, as before stated, may be employed to secure the box lin itsclosed position, by means of small nails or the like, as at 13, Fig. 2,I may employ suitable fastenings, as shown in Fi gs. 1, 2 and 4, saidfastenings comprising two sheet-metal members 14 and 15, secured,respectively, to the top and front of the box and adapted to form aninterlocking connection with each other When the box is fully closed.Such fastening is shown and claimed in United States Letters Patent No.915,045, granted to Robert Schleicher under date of March 9, 1909. Anysuitable fastening may be employed in lieu of this particular form, ifsuch fastening be found essential. Where relatively thin lumber isemployed in the manufacture of the box, such fastening will preferablybe present, inasmuch as the same will tend to bind the proximate edgesof the front and top together and hold them in position against warpingand accidental displacement.

Any blow to which the package may be subjected will be distributed overthe whole surface of the end of the box, inasmuch as the end or headprojects outwardly into alinement with the outer face of the sides. Themetallic strip holds the head firmly in place and binds the partsclosely together.

I am aware that it is not new to employ metallic binding strips and noclaim is made broadly to such construction. The edges of the variousparts will likewise be fully protected.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. In a knock-down box, the combination of a plurality of sides; meansfor securing the proximate edges of said sides to each other; amalleable sheet-metal strip, rightangled in cross-section, secured toeach end of the members thus connected, said strips being spaced awayfrom the ends to form channels or grooves; and heads seated in thegrooves and abutting against the ends of the box-sides and lilrewisebearing at their edges and outer faces, adjacent to the edges, againstthe metal strips.

2. In a knock-down box, the combination of a plurality of sides; acontinuous sheetmetal member, L-shaped in cross-section, secured to eachend of said sides, said sheetmetal members being spaced away from theends to which they are secured, thereby forming grooves or channels;heads seated in the grooves and abutting against the ends of the boxsides and likewise bearing' at their edges and outer faces, adjacent tothe edges,

'against the metal members, and means for securing the box in its closedposition.

3. In a knock-down box, the combination of a top, back, bottom andfront, forming the sides of the box; sheet-metal members, L-shaped incross-section, secured to the outer faces of the sides adjacent to theirends and spaced' away from the ends so as to form grooves or channels,each of said members being likewise provided With a ltongue orprojection adapted to overlap the face of the adjacent box-side; andheads mounted in the grooves and bearing against the ends of the boxsides, and -likewise bearing at their edges and outer faces, adjacent tothe edges, against the metal members.

4. -In a knock-down box, the combination of a plurality of sides;suitable flexible means for Securing the proximate sides to each other;sheet-metal strips secured to the outer faces of the sides, one adjacentto each end of the sides, said strips being L-shaped in cross-sectionand spaced away from the ends so as to form grooves or channels adjacentthereto; heads mounted in said groovesor channels; a tongue orprojection extending outwardly from one end of each of said metallicstrips and adapted to overlap the front of the box and to be securedthereto; and suitable fastening members for securing the proximate edgesof the front and top to each other.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribingwitnesses.

p CHARLES C. MENGEL. 4Titnesses H. P. RoBER'rs, FRANK VoN Bomzms, J r.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.7

